Lock ' em up???

We love to imrison people. Just last week we were discussing the opportunities available to those who are currently serving time in out nation's correctional facilities. Today's big question, do they all deserve to be there? Are our laws outdated? Is every crime committed really defined in the law books as black and white or is there a gray area in there somewhere too? Now, before everyone gets all crazy on me about letting all the criminals roam free in a free for all melee, let me state that is not what I am saying!!! I may be crazy but I am sane enough to realize that the hard core, never to be rehabilitated murdered, rapist, pedophile deserves to spend every minute of their sentence behind bars. But what about those that weren't that bad?
For a wealthy country The United States have some of the harshest laws in the world. We are prison happy baby! Roughly one out of every 100 adults is behind bars. The federal prison system population is maxed out, it is stuffed to the brim with petty criminals and two bit thieves. People you would probably hang out with if you didn't know ay better. It is almost at the point where they are inventing laws just to have something to prosecute people with, to give others jobs in tracking them down.
Think about the so-called "war on drugs" that has been raging on now for over four decades. It is a losing battle people, a war that we have no chance of winning and to be honest with you it is a war that I feel we never had any intention of winning. Too many people are employed and too much money is exchanged in this war against drugs. Wouldn't it make more sense to stage a war against alcohol or cigarettes? Many more people die each year fromlung cancer and alcohol related accidents and violent drunken rages than weed.
Part of the problem is that no politician is brave enough to stand against these laws, even if they don't agree with some of them. They are so afraid of being labled as "soft" on crime that they continue to push for harsher and harsher mandatory sentances, These completely takes the power away from the judges. Not every case is the same but that does not matter because mandatory means mandatory, no leeway in sentencing at all.
A great example of this broken system was written in The Economist, it is the story of Mr. Norris, a 65 year old Texas man who deals in selling Orchids, yes, the flower. After months and months of a very costly stakeout, on the taxpayers dime of course, his home was raided because of the inconsistancies of his paperwork. They tried to get him for five years for selling an orchid to an undercover agent without the proper paperwork. The charge; making a false statement to a government official!!! Are they f**king serious? There are murderers and rapist out there lurking in the shadows and this is the best way that they could think of to exhaust our police force?
The petty drug laws are insane. Even in a liberal state like Mass. you are better off being a violet offender than carrying some pain pills on you. They treat Percocet as if it was hard core narcotics, where possessing 1/2 - 1 ounce will get you a MINIMUM of three years. Three years!!! I am not saying the painkiller epidemic isn't serious but three years is nuts. Larger amounts can get you a comfy cell for the next fifteen years of your life. This is more than the minimum for armed rape!!! Yes, that is correct. If one man holds a gun to a woman's head and takes the mose precious thing from her the same day some kid gets caught with 200 grams of pain killers, the rapist will be back on the prowl before the drug dealer. The laugher is that the drugs do not have to even be pure. Mix it with flour and it does not matter, they go by total weight.
The "three strikes your out" rule is another failure in the penal system. Throughout the country there are thousands of people set to spend the rest of their lives behind bars for minor stuff. These people have never committed what the LAW says is a serious or violent crime but they will waste their remaining days in a prison, while you and I will be paying for them.
Often innocent people will take a plea deal and serve a short sentence just to avoid the risk of some insane prison term threatened by the prosecutor. What ever happened to ...and justice for all?
Listen, I am not in favor of people doing drugs but I am also not in favor of our armed forces and policemen spending more time and more money putting petty criminals behind bars for long sentences where we end up supporting them anyway. All the while that they are going after the small time crooks, there are still murderers, rapists and robbers out there sizing up their next victim. Let's get our priorities straight people and prosecute the real criminals. I would much rather be living next to some guy who sells a little hashish on the side than a guy who puts on his suit every morning, waves on his way to work and comes home to his wife and kid all the while have some brutally raped and murdered prostitute decaying in his trunk.
Is is hot in here or am I Crazy?